This invention relates generally to apparatus for aiding in the ripening of perishable produce under tightly controlled conditions.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,384 to Badalament, there is described an air tight mobile container for storing perishable goods that ripen exothermically. A refrigeration system is arranged to provide conditioned air to the container. Blowers are employed to direct the conditioned air through the inside of the container and to force the air through air permeable bins in which the perishable produce is stored. The conditioned air controls the pulp temperature of the goods to promote uniform ripening of the entire cargo. Oftentimes, the produce is placed in a ripening chamber prior to being loaded into the mobile container and treated with a ripening gas that is dispensed into the chamber to promote a more even ripening of the produce. The produce can, in most cases, spend twenty four hours or longer in the ripening chamber. Considerable time is consumed loading and unloading the ripening chamber. In addition, the extensive handling of the produce during the loading and unloading of the goods can adversely effect the ripening process as well as cause physical harm to the produce.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to improve mobile containers for transporting perishable goods.
It is a further object of the present invention to reduce the amount of time needed to ship freshly picked, perishable produce.
It is a still further object of the present invention to reduce the amount of handling needed when shipping a cargo of perishable goods.
Another object of the present invention is to promote the ripening of produce as the product is being transported to a market place.
These and other objects of the present invention are attained by a mobile container having a refrigeration unit for providing conditioned air to the container. Blowers are arranged inside the container to force the conditioned air into thermal contact with the produce.
A gas generator adds a ripening gas to the conditioned air which promotes ripening of the produce. A fresh air exchanger system is integrated into the refrigeration unit. The fresh air unit contains a damper door that is automatically controlled so that the air which includes the ripening gas is exhausted from the container into the surrounding ambient and fresh outside air is exchanged for the air vented to the outside.